Deep within the forest beneath the night sky, everything was utterly silent, as a faintly chilly breeze drifted gently through the treetops.
Amid the cold wind, Sasuke stood atop a tree branch, gripping White Fang with precise formality as he practiced the motion of slashing without pause.
For him, the greatest lesson he had learned during his time training under Hatake Sakumo was probably the fundamentals!
Only by honing the most basic movements until they responded as naturally as his own limbs, until every swing flowed effortlessly, could his swordsmanship be considered to have truly entered the hall.
In the night wind, White Fang's icy gleam swept lightly beneath the moonlight.
Sasuke's pale little face remained expressionless, his sharply contrasting black-and-white eyes wholly focused on those simple movements. Though his body still appeared young and immature, every slash carried a chilling killing intent that made others shudder.
High above, unbeknownst to him, three strange figures stood watching his performance below with varying expressions.
"Heh, so this is Uchiha Itachi's younger brother? He seems quite talented..."
A frivolous voice slowly broke the stillness of the night.
Among the three shadowy figures standing there, the tall, silver-haired figure on the left curled his pale, venomous-snake-like face into a smile. His narrowed eyes glanced lightly toward the figure in the center as he said with a soft chuckle.
"Lord Gin Ichimaru, no matter how many brats like that there are, they couldn't pose even the slightest threat to me!"
At his words, the burly bald man on the right scratched his head. He cast a disdainful glance at Sasuke below and spoke in a rough voice.
Gin Ichimaru, wearing that strange smile, could not help but shake his head helplessly as he said in a flippant tone.
"Yammy, you're already an Arrancar-class Menos